I have a couple of sd40-2's and I am going to start working on the details. When I first got them I went to use the plastic handrails and my fat fingers could not help but break them. So I just installed the metal handrails. My question is I am wanting to paint them now and how should I go about doing it? I have a problem with the uprights sliding back a forth a little when I use my giant crane to hoist the engines up. Is there a preferred way of fastening those suckers down or do you let the paint that? Or, should I just go get some more plastic ones and try a little harder not to break them? Thanks for any replies.
Athearn Handrails
- Thread starter RaiderCTE
- Start date
RaiderCTE, I'd like to get on this line for an answer as well.
Should we take needle nose pliars and crimp the strut on the handrail?
I've always seen people leave them loose.
I've also seen a majority of people never bothering with painting the metal handrails, and letting time darken them to a convincing hue.
Also, I never seemed to get the right kind of paint that didn't flake off of Athearn handrails. What type of paint should we use?
George.
Should we take needle nose pliars and crimp the strut on the handrail?
I've also seen a majority of people never bothering with painting the metal handrails, and letting time darken them to a convincing hue.
Also, I never seemed to get the right kind of paint that didn't flake off of Athearn handrails. What type of paint should we use?
George.
Hi Guys,
Athern metal handrails are okay, but the finer plastic ones are better.
Paint them before assembly to loco. Let them dry overnight, to harden the paint spray over with dullcote. Next morning, use a tiny small set of tweezers and a drop of cyanoacrylate.( The type I use is called "ZAP A GAP")
Don't use the accelerator to harden the cyano, let it dry on it's own otherwise you will have a white over spray area.
If you still want to use the metal handrails that come with the kits, use cyanoacrylate to hold the top wire in place. When all is hard, you can remove the handrails for painting.
Athern metal handrails are okay, but the finer plastic ones are better.
Paint them before assembly to loco. Let them dry overnight, to harden the paint spray over with dullcote. Next morning, use a tiny small set of tweezers and a drop of cyanoacrylate.( The type I use is called "ZAP A GAP")
Don't use the accelerator to harden the cyano, let it dry on it's own otherwise you will have a white over spray area.
If you still want to use the metal handrails that come with the kits, use cyanoacrylate to hold the top wire in place. When all is hard, you can remove the handrails for painting.
Sounds great Shamus, but what kind of paint should we use on the metal handrails? I used Acrylic paint and I think it would have flaked off even if I had sprayed Dullcote
George.
George.
kf4jqd
Active Member
Aren't hand rails a pain in the butt? lol
It took me a year to put them on my Athearn locos!
I was at my local hobby shoppe and showing the owner my model pictures. He asked me why I didn't have my hand rails on? I told him everytime I tried I bent the darn things. So I gave up.
He handed me a package with a very small drill bit in it. Plus a handheld drill.
He said, "Go home and use this to make the holes bigger. After that put the rails in place and use a needle with a drop of model glue and drop it into place."
Needless to say. He was right! I had 3 locos that needed rails. Took me an hour to do them all!!!
Now they look complete. Even painted.
Andy
I was at my local hobby shoppe and showing the owner my model pictures. He asked me why I didn't have my hand rails on? I told him everytime I tried I bent the darn things. So I gave up.
He handed me a package with a very small drill bit in it. Plus a handheld drill.
He said, "Go home and use this to make the holes bigger. After that put the rails in place and use a needle with a drop of model glue and drop it into place."
Needless to say. He was right! I had 3 locos that needed rails. Took me an hour to do them all!!!
Andy